Major hall



(No Model.)

M. HALL.

WELL FISHING TOOL. No. 477,178. Patented June 14, 1892.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAJOR HALL, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JACOB IVEBBER THOMPSON, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,178, dated June 14, 1892.

Application filed December 24, 1891. Serial No. 416,099. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: vided with series of upturned barbs or prongs, o

Beit known thatI, MAJ OR HALL,of St. Paul, and connected together by means of the link Ramsey county,Minnesota, haveinvented ccr- C. The member A is rigidly connected to or tain Improvements in ell-Fishing Tools, of formed integral with the handle or'hcad L, 5 which the following is a specification. which is adapted to be connected to the source My invention relates to improvements in of power. The member A or the head L is 55 that class of well-fishing tools which are deprovided with a stop G, having an overhang signed to grapple the detached portion of a ing slotted lip or projection F. The upper broken rope attached to drilling-tools in the end of the member B has a reduced shank K,

well, my object being to provide a device adapted to fit under the lip'Fand abutagainst which may be forced downward in the tube the stop G, and is held in that position by 60 and automatically grapple and lock itself means of a set-screw D, entering the slot F upon the rope, so as to permit of its being and adapted to be screwed down upon the lip, worked up and down in the tube without beso as to firmly grip the parts together. The

coming disengaged from the rope. member A is provided with agroove II, adja- To this end my invention consists in procent to the shank K, in which the shank 65 viding a pair of slender clam ping-jaws loosely works and which guides the screw D into the linked together, one being relatively fixed or slot of the lip F. In the bottom of the groove integral with thehead or handle of the clamp, II there is arranged a ratchet or inclined while the other is relatively movable upon it. toothed rack J, with which the reduced end Thesejaws are convex on their outer surfaces, of the shank engages as a pawl when the 70 so as to fit to the concave innersurface of the member Bslips downward along the member tube, and their inner or adjacent surfaces are A, thus holding the member B from reverse provided with barbs or prongs extending upmovement.

2 5 ward. The relatively-fixed member is pro- The operation of the device is as follows:

vided with a shoulder or stop against which The member B being lifted upward so that 7 5 the end of the movable member abuts when its shank K fits against the stop G, with the raised, so that the connecting-link stands at set-screw D entering the slot of the lip F, the right angles with the members, thereby holdset-screw is turned so as to firmly hold the ing them spread to their limit, While a rack shank in place. In this position the link C with inclined teeth upon the fixed member is stands at right angles with the jaws, as shown So engaged by the loose member as a pawl when in Fig. 1. With the partsin this position the slipped downward, so as to lock the members device can be lowered into the well, the meml upon an object and prevent the detaching of hers bearing against the inner walls of the the clamp therefrom. tube as lowered and the points passing be My invention further consists in the spetween the rope and the tube, so that a nun1- S5 citic construction and combination hereinafber of the barbs or prongs are brought into ter described, and particularly pointed out in engagement with the rope. Upon lifting the the claims. device the strain of the rope upon the prongs In the accompanying drawings, forming of the member B will disengage the shank part of this specification, Figure 1 is an clefrom the head L. The member B then drops 90 vation of my improved device shown with the downward, hanging by the 1ink,which carries jaws or members locked open. Fig. 2 is a it toward the member A, thus closing upon similar view shown with the jaws locked in the rope. (See Fig. 2.) The shank bearing 53 closed position, and Fig. 3 is a detail of the upon the upper part of the member-A acts as looking devices. a lever to hold them together the more firmly. 5 In the drawings, A and I represent the jaws At the same time the shank, acting as a pawl,

or members of the clamp, made, preferably, of engages the rack J, thus locking the memsteel to secure strength and elasticity, probers upon each other and preventing the recombination of the members loosely linked together and adapted to fit within a pipe or cylindrical hole, the barbs upon the inner faces of the members, means for setting the members inopen position, and means for automatically locking the members when clutched, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of the members having convex exterior faces adapted to fit into a cylindrical pipe, the barbs upon their adjacent or meeting faces, the link loosely connecting them to j each other, the device for setting them in open position, and the automatic locking device for holding them in clutched position, substantially as described.

L. The combination of the fixed clamp member, the movable clamp member linked thereto, the barbs upon their adjacent faces, the stop device upon the fixed member for limiting the upward movement of the movable member thereon, means for setting them in open position, and means for automatically stantially as described.

5. The combination of the fixed member, the movable member linked thereto, the barbs upon the inner faces of said members, and the rack upon the fixed member adapted to be engaged by the end of the movable member, so as to lock them together in clutched position, substantially as described.

(5. In a device of the class described, the combination, with the relatively fixed and movable clamp members provided with barbs upon their inner faces, of the link loosely connecting said members together, the grooved guide upon the fixed member to receive the upper end of the movable member and to hold it substantially parallel with the fixed member, the stop upon the fixed member provided with an overhanging slotted projection or lip, and the set-screw upon the movable member adapted to enter said slot and to be screwed down upon said lip, so as to set the clamp in open position, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of the relatively-fixed clamp member, the relatively-movable member, the

.link connecting said members together, the barbs upon the inner faces of said members,

the slotted stop upon the fixed member, the shank upon the movable member adapted to abut against said stop, and the set-screw. upon said shank adapted to enter said slot and be screwed down upon said stop, so as to set the clamps in open position, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the

combination of the relatively-fixed member, the relatively-movable member linked there .to, the barbs upon the inner faces of said members, the guide upon the fixed member, the shank upon the movable member working therein, and the rack upon the fixed member adapted to be engaged by said shank, so

as to automatically lock said members together in clutched position, substantially as described.

9. A clamp comprising, in combination, a

j relatively-fixed jaw, a relatively-movable jaw linked thereto, and means for automatically interlocking them in clutched position, substantially as described.

10. A clamp comprising, in combination, a

relatively-fixed jaw, a relatively-movable jaw linked thereto, barbs arranged upon the in ner faces of said jaws, the guide upon one 5 engaged by the other jaw and holding them parallel with each other, substantially as de- ,scribed. interlocking them in clutched position, sub- 1 11. A well-fishing tool consisting of a pair 30f similar slender-pointed jaws having conj vex outer faces and barbed inner faces, means for setting them in open parallel posi- 'tion, and automatic means for locking them in clutched position, substantially as described.

12. A clamp comprising, in combination, a relatively-fixed jaw, a relatively-movable jaw linked thereto, and means for automatically locking the jaws together in any relative position when clutched upon an object.

13. A clamp comprising, in combination, a

relatively-fixed jaw, ajrelatively-movable jaw linked thereto, devices upon the inner faces of the jaws for engaging an object, and means for automatically lockingthe jaws in clutched position.

MAJOR I IA-LL. \Vitn esses:

WM. RIoHEsoN, PETER J oHNsoN. 

